At Three In the Morning
by Aoshi'sgirlinstraightjacket
Summary: At three in the morning, you will hear the shrill happy laugh of a child and a glorious demon will come and either sweep you off your feet or strike you dead. What Kagome didn't know was that the demon was a complete HOTTIE.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Chapter One

It is said that at the Higurashi shrine, there are ghosts that linger there. And if you stand in the dark, on a new moon, at the three in the morning, you will hear the happy laugh of a little girl, the shrill reprimand of a little, green care taker...

...and then a glorious demon will appear before you. And at that moment he will either sweep you off your feet...or strike you dead.

"Come one gramps. That's a bunch of bull." Kagome Higurashi said after the last bunch of tourists exited the shrine. "I've heard a lot of stories around her but that one takes the cake."

Her grandfather got off the floor with a 'oomph' and turned a glare to his unbelieving granddaughter.

"All of my stories are true!! Why would I lie?" he picked up his things and bustled towards the house.

Kagome quickly followed after him, evenly matching his pace. "To draw in tourists because that's the only thing that pays the bills." She looked down at him as she said this, being the taller of the two.

"You disappoint your old grandfather. It's not like you'd know anyway. You've never been out of the house at such a time!"

"You'd never let me out." she protested.

"For two good reasons." he countered. "One, your only fifteen. Fifteen-year-olds have no reason being out at such an ungodly hour...and two, he could KILL you!!" his pace quickened as he hastened up the steps.

"Okay." Kagome said, starting to get out of breath. "So what's his name?"

Her grandfather stopped in the doorway of the house. "I don't know...haven't met him." and with that he disappeared into the house and shut the door on Kagome.

"What the...?" she twisted the door knob and ran into the hallway. "You're a lying, cheating, dirty, old man!!" she yelled.

"I try." came the faint reply from upstairs.

Kagome growled as she picked up the phone and quickly dialed Eri's number.

"We'll figure this out once and for all." she mumbled as the phone rang in her ear.

"Hello?" Eri answered on the other end.

"Hey." Kagome started. "Call the girls. We're spending the night at my house tonight."

She'd finally uncover the truth of at least one rumor that floated around her house. Grandfather was such a pain sometimes. That much she knew.

But what Kagome didn't know was that this one story was true...especially for her.

Okay so first chapter...not so long. But hopefully it caught some people's attention and some of you are going to be waiting on the next chapter which is going to be oh so exciting. So don't sign me off just yet.

Sincerely, _straightjacket_


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry this took so long to get out!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

"Kagome, this is crazy!" Yuka said, shivering. She wrapped the big blanket around herself and her paper thin long t-shirt.

"Yeah." Ayumi agreed. "We already know that your grandfather lies. We don't have to prove anything." She wasn't dressed any better than Yuka with her short girls' boxers and cropped tee.

"I need to prove it!" Kagome said, shivering herself. No one expected it to be this cold. She herself hadn't dressed properly. Just ordinary bed clothes.

Eri on the other hand, happily strolled along beside them. "I think it's gonna be fun." she said, smiling at each of the girls.

Yuka and Ayumi turned and glared at the cheerful teen. "Calm down, Yuka. She doesn't know what she's saying." Ayumi reassured her friend.

"Yeah, no reason to bite her head off. It's not like we dragged you into this." Kagome agreed, trying to be more appealing.

"You said he would be hot!" Yuka cried.

Kagome shrugged. "Well, that's how the legend goes. He's a handsome demon lord...who happens to like killing humans."

"Oh...that's great." Ayumi said. "So what if he _happens_ to kill us. What then? You're perfect little experiment just BOMBED!!"

It was Yuka's turn to calm her friend down. "Now, now. It least you'll get to see a hot demon before you die. Maybe he'll be naked." She said smiling a warm, wide smile.

Ayumi hugged herself and scooted closer to the other three girls. "Yeah, well he better be."

"I think this is the spot." Kagome said, letting her overnight bag fall to the ground, along with her sleeping bag and flashlight.

All four girls stared at the bare spot on the forest floor surrounded by tree stumps and rooting moss.

"This is the place?" Eri asked.

Kagome pulled out her map. "According to Grandpa..." she twisted it around and looked at it from a different angle.

"Oh my God." Ayumi said, throwing up her hands.

"No, I'm sure." Kagome said. "Cause see...there are the slash marks on the trees..." she said pointing one direction. "...and the burn marks on the ground." she pointed at the charred dirt.

"So basically, someone camped out here and then a mountain lion came and ate them. But first it had to get them out of the tree." Yuka offered.

"No!" Kagome said, swatting Yuka with the map. "That's where the demon's minion burned the ground with it's two-headed staff thing-y and that's where the demon...I don't know...felt like scratching the tree. Yeah, like marking his territory."

"He's a dog demon, right? You sure he didn't pee on it, too?"

All the girls laughed.

"Shut up. It's getting colder and it's..." Kagome looked down at her watch. "...1: 58. So we have some time before he comes."

"You say that like it's a definite thing." Ayumi mumbled as she nestled into her sleeping bag.

Kagome glared at her friend. "Just shut up and wait."

_**1 Hour Later...**_

"Oh my God. You didn't bring cards or anything?" Ayumi cried, rolling her head back.

"For the last time, no we didn't bring any cards, games, or makeup." Eri sighed.

"It's almost time anyway. It's 2:58." Kagome said, checking her watch for the five hundredth time.

"Shouldn't something freaky be happening right about now? Like the wind picking up or the ground shaking? Something?" Yuka asked.

All the girls grew silent but they heard nothing. It was an eerie silence that filled the woods. Each of the teens looked at each other afraid to talk first.

"Okay...not exactly what I meant. Maybe if this was a haunted house and something was supposed to jump out." Yuka said, growing more relaxed.

The other three were still on edge, listening for anything out of the ordinary.

"I mean, my heart isn't even beating fast, my stomach's not in my throat, my adrenaline isn't pumping. None of the regular feelings of being scared."

The bushed rustled not far behind Yuka's head. Kagome's eyes grew wide as she elbowed Eri and Ayumi who sat beside her.

"Uh...Yuka?" Eri said.

"And what is he going to do anyway? If he was such a 'powerful demon lord' why is he dead? Just sayin'." At this point she had her eyes closed and was babbling.

"Yuka...you might want to..." Ayumi started.

"We might as well go back to the house. It should be three by now." Her voice was lost in the roaring wind that blew her forward, her hair flying. The bushes had stopped rustling but that was the least of their worries now.

"_Rin! Rin, you insignificant child! When I get a hold of you I will...well, I don't know. I'll hand you over to Lord Sesshoumaru!" _Said a squawky voice.

Kagome looked to her side. "Did any of you say something?" She asked quietly. The girls shook their heads.

"_Lord Jaken. Look at the flowers. Aren't they pretty?" _

Kagome looked to the other side.

"_Rin those are weeds not flowers. Don't you know anything?"_

"I'm confused." Eri said. The voices seemed to be coming from both sides, closing in on

them.

"_Oh look, people." _The girl's voice said.

"_People?!" _the impish voice squeaked. _"We can't have people when Lord Sesshoumaru gets here. I'll have to get rid of them."_

The girls eyes widened as they scrambled to their feet.

"_That's Lord Sesshoumaru's job, though." _

"_Yes...a job that he hates. Now go and stall him..."_

Small footsteps were heard running away.

"_...and I'll take care of them." _

The girls quickly started gathering their stuff in an attempt to run. They soon found that they could not carry it all because it was unpacked.

"Forget it!" Kagome said. "Drop it and run!"

Before they could take a step, a click was heard and a thick fire blazed through them. Kagome lost sight of the other girls as she fell to her knees and covered her mouth with her hand. She tried to yell but she choked and fell to the ground, her limbs giving out on her.

A form stepped through the fire and came towards her. It was tall and billowy. She wasn't sure who it was because of the tears and smoke in her eyes.

The last thing she heard before she passed out was the sharp cry of an alarmed toad, the laugh of a young girl, and the large footsteps of the unknown demon lord.

Once again, sorry this took so long but this was my dead line so I'm also sorry if it seemed a bit rushed. Review and I'll put up the next dead line depending on how all of you like it.

Sincerely, _straighjacket_


	3. Chapter 3

1Hey guys! So...um. My computer got a virus. Yeah, it sucks. But now that I'm on my dad's laptop I have this demanding urge to update everything. Since, you know, I've been away from writing so long. I'm just going down the list!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Kagome's head ached as she tried to open her eyes. The pounding in her brain kept getting closer and closer: so much that it hurt her teeth. Her eyelids fluttered open but she closed them instantly. Light was a bully, she concluded. It never liked you when you woke up.

"Guys..." someone whispered close to her ear. "I think she's waking up." It was a very young voice. She couldn't make out if it was a boy or girl. Whatever it was, it was prodding her on the arm. She was tempted to grumble and smack whoever was touching her. Fortunately, it hurt too much to do either.

"Don't force her, Shippo." a female said. "She'll wake up when she wants to."

Okay. So the kids name was Shippo. Good to know who she was going to cuss out first when she woke up. He wasn't alone, though.

"Maybe she wants to now...she just can't." the little voice prodded somewhat sadly.

Now she felt bad. Dumb kid.

"Stop it, kit. It takes time to heal and we don't know how bad she was damaged. Do not touch her." This voice was cold, harsh. Like she was used to taking control. It made Kagome shiver.

"Is she cold?" the friendlier female voice asked.

"How could she be?! It's the summer!" This voice was definitely male. A gruff, annoying male. That one Kagome would definitely slap.

"Shhh...Inuyasha. You don't have to be so loud." Came another male voice. It was soothing.....but too soothing. Like it was trying to be.

"No dammit. I'm tired of you talking about her. We've got things to do, jewel shards to find. We don't have time to deal with her. Drop her off on one of the healers."

Kagome was beyond confused. Jewel shards? Healers? Where was she?

"We can't do that Inuyasha." Said the harsh female.

The boy named Inuyasha instantly softened. "Why the hell not?" he said quietly.

"Well, look at her. If we give her to someone else...they might think she's evil. They might kill her. No one else is as understanding as we are." The other female said softly, as if to a child.

"You can't say you're not in the least bit interested in her." The smoother male said.

Kagome felt the tension in the room rise.

"I...I mean in her past....and who she is." he stammered. The tension died down slightly.

"Miroku's right, though. She looks exactly like her."

"Shutup!" And the commotion started again. Like nothing had ever happened.

Kagome's muscles started to ache. She couldn't stand to stay still anymore. Well, she thought, time to get up.

She tried pushing herself up on her elbows and after succeeding that, slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was a ball of fluff right next to her. It's tail twitched excitedly and it opened it's mouth to talk.

"She's awake! She's awake!"

Kagome winced and shielded her head from the shrill noise.

"Shippo! Inside voice."

Kagome felt a hand on her arm. She looked up, glad that this was a darker area of the room. The face that met her was a friendly smiling face. She was very pretty in her kimono with her hair falling over her shoulder.

"Hi." she said. "I'm Sango."

Kagome smiled weakly, finally able to put name to face. "Where am I?" She immediately kicked herself mentally. Not great on first impressions. Her voice was scratchy and weak to top it off, too.

Sango didn't seem to notice. "In a small village west of Ryoshinko."

(Kind of just threw something out there. Truthfully, I don't know where the crap they are.)

Kagome stared at her. "West of who?"

Sango looked past her in a worried glance. "Maybe you should drink something." She stood up and walked around her.

Kagome turned around to look at everyone else. Oh, this would be lovely.

Only two other people, if you could call them that, looked even somewhat happy. That was the boy, Shippo, and the man that Sango went and sat by. The woman who handed her the cup and the silver haired man didn't seem glad to see her awake.

"I'm Miroku." the man by Sango said after she took a sip of what she assumed was herbal tea. She had barely managed a smile before the others joined in.

"My name is Kikyou." said the woman with the soft, harsh voice. Kagome could only stare. It was like looking in a mirror. A weird mirror that made her face look rough and her eyes appear cold.

"Hi." she said, timidly. She looked in the corner at the man who hadn't introduced himself.

Miroku cleared his throat, staring intently across the room.

"What?" he said, gruffly as he crossed his arms. "She doesn't need to know my name."

"This is Inuyasha." said Kikyou abruptly.

"Kikyou..." Inuyasha said, as if hurt and annoyed at the same time.

"There's no need to act that way." turning her body towards him and walking back to the corner.

"What's your name?" Shippo said beside her. Apparently he wasn't as afraid of her as the others seemed to be. They sat all the way across the room in separate corners. He hadn't left her side all the time she had been awake. Maybe that was a sign.

"I'm...Kagome." she said reluctantly. It might have been safer to make up a name, she thought after she had already blurted it out. She didn't know if these people were safe. Oh well. Too late now.

"Kagome..." Sango said, trying it out. Kagome didn't know why. She didn't think it was such rare name.

"If you don't mind us prying.." Sango continued. She seemed to timid about the subject. It made Kagome nervous.

"Where are you from?" said Kikyou. Everyone flinched except for Inuyasha.

"I'm from Tokyo."

(Once again, I don't know where she's from.)

Everyone stared at her. Kagome reached up and ran her hand over the side of her face making sure nothing was there.

"What?" she asked.

"Where's that?" Asked Shippo.

Kagome was all too ready to explain, thinking it was just the ignorance of the boy.

"Yes. I've never heard of Tokyo." Miroku chimed in.

Finally it dawned on Kagome. She couldn't figure out why these people seemed so strange to her and she felt stupid once she really looked at them. There clothes were weird along with the building and the furnishings around her. They had weird accents and used words that had been dropped in the 19th century.

"Who are you people?"

"Great." Inuyasha said, throwing up his hands. "She's either damaged her head or she's an idiot.

"No." Kagome corrected. "I'm mean where are you from. What place is this?"

"We've already told you where we are and this is the place we preside in. You are currently in a healer's hut. You will be moved, though, when your head is healed." Kikyou said.

"My head is not damaged!" Kagome said, offended. "And I'm not an idiot. I'm just disoriented. What time period is this?

Everyone glanced at the each other.

"Well...." Sango started.

:::

Kagome burst through the strip of cloth that these people called a door. She looked around franticly.

"Oh my God..." she mumbled to herself. "I have to get back." She broke into a run and sped down a beaten path. People she assumed were villagers stared and gaped as she passed. She could understand, she was still in her bed clothes. She didn't stop to explain though. She could only imagine their reaction...

_"Hi. I'm Kagome and I'm from 500 years in the future." _

_"Demon! Kill her!" _

Yeah...that wouldn't go over to well. So she ran.

"Kagome!!"

Crap, she thought. She could have said her name was Yuka or something like that. Too late for that.

"Kagome wait!! You don't know where you're going!"

Good point. Kagome stopped. She put her hands on her knees panting hard. Sango, on the other hand, looked as if she had just strolled there.

"I thought I might have to take you out." She joked.

"Haha. Very funny." The scary part, Kagome thought, was that the woman could easily hurt her if she thought she needed to.

"Why did you run?" Sango asked, serious now.

Kagome straightened and placed her hands on her hips. "Wouldn't you?"

"No."

"Well then I don't know. It's just something I do regularly. Run from strangers in a different time period."

"Apparently not. You're completely out of shape."

Kagome opened her mouth to tell her it was a joke but stopped. "Yeah. Pretty much."

"We're going to try to help you." Sango said softly. "Get back to your home, I mean."

"Good. Hopefully you know what you're doing."

And with that they walked back to the hut.

::::::::

Third chapter up and ready to go. I've already had to correct some grammatical errors so I wouldn't be surprised if there are more. Anyway….I'll try to get the next one up as soon as possible.

Sincerely, _straighjacket_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

"So, you see, my family owns a shrine." Kagome started.

"No one owns a shrine." Kikyou butted in. "There are priests and priestess' that belong to the shrine but the shrine belongs to the gods."

"In my time, shrines aren't used like they are now and priests and priestess' aren't as common." Already Kikyou was starting to tick Kagome off. Not only because of the way she acted but because of the way Inuyasha acted around her. He groveled at her feet the minute she said a word.

"As I was saying, the shrine is what we make money off of because it's a tourist attraction."

"That's unholy." Kikyou growled.

"That's the way it is. You just have to understand where I come from." Kagome demanded before continuing. "My grandfather has many stories that he tells the tourist's about the shrine and the area we're in, basically. Many of them are myths; they're nice to think about but myths after all; things like demons, and demon lords that come to our world at three in the morning on a full moon, and the shikon jewel or whatever." Kagome kept naming things off on her fingers and rambled on. The others looked at each other, wondering when to break the news to her.

"You must have been hit on the head no matter how much you declare you're completely sane. All those things are true." Kikyou said. She talked to Kagome as if she was the stupidest thing in a skirt.

"Well, unless I'm dreaming or delusional, the demon lord part has to be true. That's how I got here." Kagome said.

The group stiffened around her. "What was that?" Sango asked.

"What was what?" Kagome asked, looking behind her and on the floor around her. "Did you see something?"

"No, what you just said. A demon lord brought you here?" Sango asked, warily.

"Yeah, my friends and I waited until three in the frickin' morning to see if he would come and guess what, he did. I wonder what happened to them…" Kagome pondered, now worried about her friends. If they weren't with her then were they dead? That couldn't be possible.

She looked up to see everyone backed up against the wall; all except Inuyasha who appeared bored.

"What?"

"Did anyone touch her?" Kikyou asked.

"Yes. No. Maybe. I can't remember." Sango replied. "Hide Shippo." Miroku picked up the sleeping kit and took him outside, making sure to give Kagome a wide bearth.

"What is the deal?" Kagome demanded, growing annoyed.

"Sesshoumaru was the demon lord who brought you here." Kikyou said more than questioned.

"I think so…yeah, that's what that green toad and the little girl called him." Kagome said, still wondering what their problem was. "Look, I don't have cooties or a disease or whatever. I've had my shots which is probably more than you can say." She stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"We don't mean to be rude," Sango said, "but if you really are Sesshoumaru's then we could be in very big trouble for associating with you; as in a matter of death."

"Why is that?" Kagome was confused. If the whole being in a different time thing was confusing now, apparently, she was someone's property.

"Don't you know anything?" Kikyou asked, exhausted from Kagome's ignorance.

"Not about this! I'm actually kind of smart where I'm from. I bet you can't do calculus!" Kagome accused.

"Sounds like some sort of witch craft to me." Kikyou countered.

"You don't want to know what I think you sound like." Both Kagome and Kikyou were in each other's faces, hands on hips, bent at the waist.

"We're keeping her." Inuyasha interrupted.

"What?" Kikyou and Kagome asked at the same time, temporarily sidetracked from their bickering.

"She's staying with us." Inuyasha reiterated.

"Why?" Kikyou asked simply. She seemed a little hurt that Inuyasha wasn't on her side.

"If she belongs to Sesshoumaru then he will eventually come for her and when he does I will kill him."

"So you're using me for bait?" Kagome asked, bewildered at the idea. "In that case I'll leave on my own. I am not a lure." She turned to leave, not exactly knowing where to go. She didn't have to worry about that for long, though. Inuyasha jumped in front of her way, his tall, menacing form blocking out the mere light coming from around the flap used for the door.

"Step outside and you'll be eaten within the hour, I guarantee it." He said, gruffly. "If you stick with us you'll live for as long as it takes for Sesshoumaru to come get you."

"Then you'll let me die? Who is this Sesshoumaru to you anyway?" Kagome asked, no longer scared of the dog-eared male.

"You don't need to know." He said as he turned and walked out of the hut. Kikyou followed close behind him. Kagome was left in the dim hut with the other woman.

"Sesshoumaru is Inuyasha's older half-brother. Inuyasha hates him for a lot of different reasons. Their father is dead and so is Inuyasha's mother, but Sesshoumaru is still alive and rules over the Western lands. The both want to kill each other." Sango said quietly. "Sesshoumaru is a demon, you know that according to your legend. Inuyasha is only half demon, though. That's one of the reasons Sesshoumaru wants to kill him, because he's an impure half-breed in their lineage of pure-bred demons."

"What does this have to do with me?" Kagome asked. She plopped down on the hard wooden floor, tired from the conflict and tension.

" Sesshoumaru chose you for some reason; maybe it's to be a slave, or to be an offering, or possibly to be his mate, however seeing how he despises Inuyasha so much I would bet on becoming a slave or an offering." Sango said solemnly.

"Offering to whom?" Kagome was growing scared. She didn't want to be eaten or sacrificed.

"There are demons who do take human concubines. He might trade you to another demon lord if he needed to travel through their land or if they were threatening to wage war. It doesn't necessarily mean he will kill you. But then there is the possibility that that's what he wants you for…" Sango trailed off. Her explanation definitely wasn't helping the younger girl.

Kagome sat there rigid, staring wide-eyed at the floor. Finally she looked up. "Sango…?" Kagome said weakly. Sango was taken back that the girl actually remembered her name.

"Yes?"

"Is there any way I can get out of here?" Kagome's eyes were watering from the oncoming tears.

Sango thought for a few minutes, searching desperately through her brain for something that could help this poor girl. At first she thought of Kaede, Kikyou's younger/older sister (a complicated situation in and of itself). Maybe the knowledgeable priestess would know of something. Then, the idea struck her.

"There may be one way." She said determinedly.

….

Kagome stared at the old beat up well. "This will take me back home?" she asked, skeptical of the idea."

"It's been rumored that it has transportation powers, but no one knows where it takes you or how it works. There was a big conflict about it about ten years ago. The human lords wanted to send someone to go through the well. Everyone was wary of what it might do but if it was actually true it would be a great advantage. That concept died after a while, though, and the well was forgotten."

"There's a well by the shrine," Kagome said slowly, "that my ancestors built a small shed around. My grandfather won't allow us near it, none of us know why. Just like he wouldn't let us out of the house after dark…" She said, making a connection.

"You think it might be the same well?" Sango asked. Kagome hadn't taken her eyes off the well. Sango looked at her, thinking maybe she did have some kind of mental problem. Or maybe she was just dazed; in culture shock. Kagome didn't respond. "You should probably go before Inuyasha figures out that you've run off. He's serious about using you to draw Sesshoumaru to him."

"Yeah…" Kagome said simply as she walked towards the well and threw a leg over the edge. She stopped when an itch tormented her leg. She bent down to scratch her calf.

"What's wrong?" Sango asked.

"My leg is itching." Kagome responded.

"You can't worry about that now." Sango prodded.

Kagome ignored her as the itch grew worse. She pulled her leg up to rest on the side of the well and furiously scratched at her leg. Then, her other leg started to itch. "What the hell?" Kagome wondered. The itching in her calves was becoming unbearable. She scratched harder and harder, leaving large red marks on her legs. It felt like the itch went all the way into her calf muscle where she couldn't get to it.

"Really, Kagome, you have to go. I'm scared Inuyasha will find us."

Right at that moment, Inuyasha busted through the trees. "Don't go through that well, girl! I'll come after you and you won't like it when I do." He yelled.

"Kagome, go!" Sango yelled, running towards the well, intending to push Kagome in. Inuyasha caught up to her and threw her to the ground. A few strides brought him to Kagome, who he wrapped his arms around roughly and dragged her away from the well. Kagome thought about her torturous calves and began to scratch at Inuyasha's arms and kick frantically.

"Let go of me!" she yelled before Inuyasha muffled her mouth with his hand. She tried to bite at his hand but the half-demon was impervious to the annoying pain. Kagome felt hopeless, her only getaway destroyed. She would have to travel with the motley gang and then be given up the Sesshoumaru as a slave or be killed. Tears raced down her face as she was grudgingly forced to accept her fate.

Suddenly, a torrent of wind whipped around her and Inuyasha, whipping their hair and clothes. Inuyasha's red sleeve blocked her field of vision. When the wind stopped, Inuyasha's sleeve fell and there standing beside the well was a man in pelts.

"What are you doing here?" Inuyasha demanded.

"There was a different smell in the air and I decided to come see what it was." The man said with a smirk. "Don't get defensive Inuyasha. You don't own this land. Unless it's your woman that you think I'm after. Although," he said, sniffing the air, "if might be her scent that is so enticing."

"Paws off, Kouga," Inuyasha growled, "she's mine."


End file.
